Saturday, October 24, 2009

Back in July 12 I brought for the first time the concept of Thorsten Biehl fragrances to the blog (click HERE to read). I loved the idea of treating fragrances as a piece of art and bringing together different personalities, different noses under one brand. We have seen this before in Frederic Malle (different noses creating for one brand), but this project is totally different. Biehl Parfumkunstwerke - olfaktorischen galerie is an olfactive gallery, managed by Thorsten who has the sensibility to choose the artists to be exhibited under the brand's umbrella. Each perfumer has his own personality and his own way to relate to the raw material. Each fragrance of the collection has a different story, different sensations and stories behind them. The perfumer is an artist and the highlight is his creation. The brand is only a place to exhibit the beautiful pieces created.

+ Q Perfume Blog succeeded to interview him between trips. It is a great opportunity for all of us to learn a different way to relate to fragrances. I am sure you will love it as much as I did!

The artists

+Q Perfume Blog: You have gathered 6 artists to compose the fragrances for your brand Biehl. Parfumkunstwerk. Six different personalities with different cultural backgrounds, and six different ways to relate to perfume. How was the process of choosing the perfumers? Did they have something in common?

Thorsten Biehl: During my 17 years as a fragrance developer, I have worked closely with a few dozens of perfumers worldwide. When the idea of the olfactory gallery started to grow in my head, I asked some of the perfumers I most admire for their style and creativity. The other thing they have in common is that they have started their careers in Germany.

+Q Perfume Blog: In terms of freedom to create, in what ways did you interfere or relate to their concepts? Did the project have a common line to follow?

Thorsten Biehl:The basic idea for the perfumers was to present some of their personal favorites they have developed without a specific customer project but for close friends or for themselves. If there is such a thing as a common line it would be the need to be different from existing perfumes and trends and the freedom of the use of raw materials and price restrictions. My part was to select the perfumes that I thought would be the most interesting to present to a broader audience.

+ Q Perfume Blog: What makes your brand so special is that perfume is presented as art and the brand is an olfactory gallery. Do you consider the art of making perfume to neglect their artists, when the creative minds are hidden behind major brands or fashion designers?

Thorsten Biehl: You cannot change the past, but you can certainly try to change the future. After more than a century of unknown perfumers behind prominent brands and people, I would like to turn the spot-light back to the creative minds in the perfumery business. Perfumer is one of the rarest professions with only a few hundred great noses worldwide. Instead of creating international commercial brands with little creative freedom, I opted to challenge their artistic side to create perfume masterpieces, not for the masses but for the true perfume enthusiasts.

+ Q Perfume Blog: Your father has created one fragrance for your gallery. Father and son joined in a journey to create art. Tell me a little bit about working with him.

Thorsten Biehl: It is a tremendous advantage to start such a project when you can count on the experience of more than 40 years as a perfumer. We have already worked together on various projects for more than 10 years while we were both at H&R. But the story of hb01, my father’s contribution to the gallery, is unique and it was the trigger for the basic idea. It was created to compete in a creativity contest in 1987 organized by the French Perfumers association, which for the first time allowed international perfumers to participate. His perfume won the first price and after the award ceremony in Paris I asked him who would buy this perfume to launch it. New to the perfume Industry, I have just started my career with H&R in ’87, his answer really astounded me profoundly: ‘Nobody, I guess, too expensive and special, not suitable for the mass market.’

+ Q Perfume Blog: Is there a place for new minds? Will you add new minds or new fragrances created by these perfumers?

Thorsten Biehl: Yes, as in art galleries, I am constantly looking for new exhibition pieces and artists, so there will be new perfumes and noses coming, but not in a hurry and in great numbers.

+ Q Perfume Blog: Does niche perfumery follow any kind of trend? Because it seems that now niche is becoming a trend itself. We saw in the past that some perfumers were signing their own creations, with a different approach and unlimited budgets. Today you can find hundreds of brands calling themselves exclusive niche perfumes. How to do see the future of niche perfumery? I would hate to see big companies buying and turning them into the new form of reaching the masses!

Thorsten Biehl: Difficult to tell, very complex question, I wouldn’t like to generalize. Even the name niche is not very suitable. Too many brands are called niche nowadays, which have nothing to do with real perfumery. One thing seems to be obvious: more and more consumers prefer smaller brands that transport a message of creativity and quality with a personal approach, not a multinational background.

+ Q Perfume Blog: We all know that the best raw materials the market can offer are in the hands of the big companies due to their power of purchase. How can a small brand compete with them?

Thorsten Biehl: This is true, that’s why I work with the leading perfume houses. Most important is the contact to the most creative perfumers and that you can convince them to work with you.

+ Q Perfume Blog: You have been traveling around the globe and absorbing different cultures. Where do you feel at home?

Thorsten Biehl: Home is where I live with my family, which is Berlin since last year. It is a great city with a high quality of living and lots of entertainment, yet plenty of green and water.

The sample set

Thank you Mr. Biehl for this interview. It is always very exciting to be able to get to know the minds behind the fragrances and the brands.

This blog will be reviewing your fragrances in the near future. It is also an opportunity to thank you so much for sending me the exquisite olfactive set of samples of your collection. It is like having a miniature of the real pieces!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Yosh Han is a beautiful, bright, young perfumer from San Francisco who has perfume even in her name. The Chinese character for Yosh means fragrant.

She started her career in 1994 when she entered in a shop in Aspen and decided she had to work there, even not knowing at that time what they were really doing.

Today Yosh has her own brand offering 7 different fragrances, 2 limited editions and also signature scents for clients who wish to have their own personal perfume.

What has driven me to her was the fact that she believes, like me, that a fragrance can transform us. Her way to relate to fragrances goes beyond creating nice niche perfumes. Each of her fragrances can transport us to what she calls "aromascope".

We had a very nice chat about fragrances, the sense of smell etc... and I thought it was a good idea to share with you.

+ Q PERFUME: What I loved about your approach to fragrances is the fact that we both think that fragrances can change or set moods. This is why I cannot have just one perfume in my closet! Some times I have “cravings” for a fragrance like some people have cravings for sweets, coffee, etc… Do you have fragrance “cravings”

YOSH: Yes. I have cravings for earth smells – woody, mushroomy, oak moss, vetiver, etc. I have a fragrance I made called Sombre Negra, black shadow. This is my go-to smell when I want to touch the earth. When I crave heaven, I reach for ylang, neroli and rose. I do crave the smell of oud. There’s nothing else like it. I went to an incense ceremony in Tokyo and had the most magical experience with oud during the ceremony and that is the closest I think to olfactory heaven on earth. It really moved me.

+ Q Perfume: Aha! I am almost convinced that we should harmonize the fragrance to wear according to the meal we are about to savor, like we do with wines!

YOSH: Yes. There was an exhibition in NY at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum that showcased the history of dining utensils and rituals a few years ago. I saw a very cool fork and spoon set that was designed to enhance the aroma of the food you were eating. The handle was an extended corkscrew shape and the intension was to twirl herbs on the handle depending on the food you were serving. I think olfaction and food are so closely tied but people tend to not be as creative as they could be. I also heard of a cool restaurant in Chicago that the waiter wafts certain scents in the air between courses to change the palette and ambiance. I think if people were to enjoy leisurely longer multi-course meals, this could be done. Or maybe you need a change in fragrance between burgers and fries, too!?

+ Q PERFUME: Do you think it is possible to make a perfume for both genders that will move them or touch both genders the same way? After all women are so different than men…

YOSH: I think it’s possible for both men and women to have a reaction to the same fragrance and experience similarities, but it ‘hits’ us in different ways. For example, my fragrance called U4EAHH, it’s a juicy smell and both men and women ‘get happy’ when they smell it. Big smiles and delicious thoughts. Are they thinking the same thing?

+ Q Perfume: It once did a game with my husband. I gave him perfumes to smell and he had to write down the color and the sensation he felt while smelling. I did the same and we compared notes. If I recall, sixty percent (app.) of the fragrances gave us the same sensation and also the same colors, but not all of them. I was a very nice experience to do together.

+ Q PERFUME: I lived almost 10 years in the Middle East and when I close my eyes I see an “olfactory picture” of rosemary, grapefruits and pines, also hot sand smell…sometimes coffee and cardamom. But most of the perfumes inspired in this region are about roses and spices. Do we have also a collective olfactory conscience?

YOSH: Yes – this is what I refer to as our “aromascape” or our inner landscape of aromas. Our cultural heritage shapes this as well as the many places we’ve lived. I have also noticed that certain patterns occur with types of personalities and/or ethnicities. It’s very interesting.

+ Q Perfume: I have a theory that I developed from personal experience and from long talks about perfumery that I wish to discuss with you. I notice that when a person comes to me and says, “I have been looking for a fragrance to buy, but somehow I never find one that I really feel connected to or wish to have”, in most of the times, the same person is in a phase where she/he cannot find his/her own self. Confused about what they want for their lives, or somehow in a middle of a crisis.

So, do you think there is a relation there or is t just coincidence and my theory has no logic at all?

+ Q PERFUME: Were you meant to be a perfumer? What does it take to be one?

YOSH: Good question. My name YOSH means ‘aroma’ so one could say, it was destiny. When I walked into the perfume shop in Aspen, I sort of felt likeI came Home. When I blend, there is definitely a non-verbal language and communication that occurs between me and the materials. That is the intuitive side of my artistry. The science aspect - mixing in the correct percentages, knowing the allergens, etc. That is rigorous and takes practice. There are so many opportunities now for perfuming. I say, if someone has the interest and curiosity, go for it!

+ Q PERFUME: When you design a personal fragrance, do you receive feedback on how these clients are feeling with their new personal scent? (Can you point some comments).

YOSH: I often get feedback about the different transformations that have occurred for my client. Many of my private clients create their signature perfumes when they are in a pivotal point in their lives. Whether it’s a birthday, wedding, or other special occasion. For many women, creating a custom fragrance is something they have dreamed about so when they manifest that desire, it’s very powerful. One of my favorite remarks was from a man from Chicago, he called and left me a message saying that the session was a ‘galactic journey.’

About the Author

Simone Shitrit is a Sao Paulo-based olfactive designer, author & editor for +Q Perfume Blog, +Q Perfume Trends & Blends Blog. She was for more than 2 years exclusive fragrance contributor for the Brazilian Beauty site Cristiana Arcangeli (The iconic entrepreneur and reference to the Brazilian Cosmetic & Perfumery Industry), fragrance evaluator and free lancer writer for the Brazilian Beauty & Cosmetics magazine Atualidade Cosmética. Exclusive Fragrance Consultant for one of the largest Brazilian news Broadcasters - BandNews. She also gives lectures and promotes events about perfumery and for perfume brands.

As a Fragrance expert and consultant always cutting edge, she was the first and only perfume blogger to be a juror of the Brazilian Perfumery & Cosmetics Awards - Atualidade Cosmética; consultant for big fashion magazines such as Marie Claire and House and Garden in Brazil; freelancer evaluator for Fragrance Houses in Brazil; and is always invited to be present in fashion, design, gourmet and perfumery events.

With a background in International Trading, Business Administration and International Marketing and Corporate Law, she has been working with multinational companies and governmental organizations. Today she is the senior marketing manager for Orphek Led Lighting Solutions.

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